During his September 18 to October 28 US trip, Liu Wei (R) experienced so much that he'd never experienced before: training in remote mountains, playing basketball with international star Chris Webber and participating in the NBA preseason games in his hometown -- everything was new.

But Liu's NBA dream came to a sudden end when the Sacramento Kings said they would not sign him on October 23. This bad news was not a surprise to him or to most basketball fans.

The Kings informed Liu of the decision after a preseason game against New Orleans Hornets in which they won 92:87 -- with Liu Wei on the bench.

Liu took part in three of six Kings' games during his trial with the team, including two in China against the Houston Rockets. His performances, with only 1 assist, 2 points, 4 rebounds plus 6 fouls as well as 6 unforced errors in 34 minutes on court, were not enough to persuade them to sign.

So why had they listed Liu, a 25-year-old free agent, in their lineup when they already boasted several gifted guards, including Mike Bibby and Bobby Jackson? One retired player from the Chinese men's basketball team explained that it was simply to help promote the NBA in China.

Although the Chinese men's basketball team was invincible in Asia for much of the last decade, successfully clinching a place among the world top eight several times, a recurring problem was a lack of talented guards. Even A Dijiang, Li Xiaoyong and other former top players could not make it into the American game, so how could a newcomer realize his NBA dream?

Recently, the NBA began to attach more importance to Asian audiences and wanted to minimize cultural differences by using domestic stars. The contract between the Phoenix Suns and Japanese guard Yuta Tabuse and the fabulous preseason games in China were both moves made to develop Asian markets.

The Rockets had Yao Ming and the Kings also needed an East Asian player to gain popularity. Then Liu Wei, Yao's close buddy and former teammate in Shanghai Dongfang, came into view.

Li Yaomin, head coach of the Shanghai Dongfang, said: "I've known it since the beginning. Liu Wei's training for the Kings was definitely a commercial promotion. Anyway, I told Liu that being fired is not a bad thing as he can see the difference between himself and the NBA players."

Analyzing his failure to go further in the NBA, Liu attributed his exit to the competence gap, "Especially in fields like strength and adaptability, which I have had to improve all along."

Liu also admitted the Kings are not short-guarded, but he still believed that the NBA journey was a useful experience for him. "I had said before training that I was going there to learn, and I really improved both in my mental and physical performance."

Only three days after Liu Wei's dismissal, center Menk Bateer met the same fate as the New York Knicks surrendered him just before the start of the new season.

With the Knicks, Bateer had scored two points in 10 minutes during three preseason appearances. Before this the 30-year-old had appeared in 46 career games over three years for Denver, San Antonio, Toronto and Orlando.

For some audiences, Bateer's departure was harder to accept. Some explained it with his unfamiliarity with NBA teams and difficulties dealing with a new language and ways of communicating.

But more seem to think otherwise: according to an online survey by sina.com, over 90 percent of nearly 4,000 respondents agreed that Liu's and Bateer's exits were mainly due to their poor performances.

As for Bateer's future in the NBA, his manager Xia Song is pretty optimistic. "Bateer still

has opportunities in the new season. So far five teams have shown interest."

And if he still cannot get signed? Xia's planned for this too: "In case he's still unemployed, I can manage him playing the NBA development league, as a short-term plan. Actually, it's very easy for him to play in the European associations with an annual salary exceeding 200,000 euros. The point is he doesn't want to leave."

NBA is something of a heaven for global audiences thanks to high-end marketing and excellent basketball; but it can be hell for players with its sex scandals, drug problems and other troubles. For Menk Bateer, an unemployed player with a championship ring on his finger, NBA is currently limbo.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, November 5, 2004)